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Acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) plays an important role in the esterification of cholesterol with its substrates, cholesterol and fatty acyl coenzyme A, to facilitate both intracellular storage and intercellular transport. ACAT-1 is more involved in macrophage foam cell formation and ACAT-2 plays a critical role in the cholesterol absorption process in intestinal enterocytes. Three aliphatic acid amides, beta-sanshool (1), gamma-sanshool (2), and hydroxy-beta-sanshool (3), were isolated by bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethanolic extracts of Zanthoxylum piperitum DC. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibited human ACAT-1 and -2 activities with IC50 values of 39.0 and 79.7 microM for 1 and of 12.0 and 82.6 microM for 2, respectively. However, the hACAT-1 and -2 inhibitory activities of compound 3 having hydroxyl group were relatively less than those of compounds 1 and 2. A semi-synthetic compound 4, which has acetyl residue at 2'-OH of compound 3, exhibited the increased hACAT-1 and -2 inhibitory activities with IC50 values of 28.1 and 87.5 microM, respectively.

Dehydration-hydration products were obtained in good yields by the treatment of propargylic hydroxy γ-lactams with some Lewis acids. Several propargylic and allenylic hydroxy γ-lactams were successfully converted to the corresponding ring-expanded benzazepines in various yields via a tandem decyclization-cyclization process in the presence of (TMS)2NLi, (TMS)2NNa, or n-BuLi under reflux conditions in THF.

The multi-protected compounds 4 and 5 were treated with 20% iodine in methanol to give 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-D-arabinitol 1 and 1,4-dideoxy-1,4-imino-L-xylitol 2 directly. Iodine was an efficient catalyst for deprotection of O-isopropylidene, O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl), N-(9-phenylfluoren-9-yl) and N-benzyloxycarbonyl groups, resulting in intramolecular cyclisation.

Acyl-CoA: cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) catalyzes the acylation of cholesterol to cholesteryl ester with long chain fatty acids and ACAT inhibition is a useful strategy for treating hypercholesterolemia or atherosclerosis. Pentacyclic triterpenes, ursolic acid (1), oleanolic acid (2), and betulinic acid (3) were isolated from the methanol extracts of the leaves of Lycopus lucidus TURCZ. by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of compounds 1-3 were elucidated by their spectroscopic data analysis. Among them, betulinic acid (3) exhibited more potent human ACAT-1 and ACAT-2 inhibitory activities with IC(50) values of 16.2+/-0.6 and 28.8+/-1.3 microM, respectively.

Treatment of 2a, b with LiAlH4 gave the [6] and [7]metacyclophanols 4 and 8 in good yields. The reactions of 4 and 8 with MeSO2Cl in the presence of Et3N in CH2Cl2 rapidly proceeded to give the corresponding strained tricyclic ethers 6 and 10, via an intramolecular version of the SN2 reaction. This stereospecific cyclic ether formation in the mesylate molecules 5 and 9 can be rationalized in terms of a short nonbonded length between both reaction centers and a fairly rigid linear relationship between the leaving group and the nucleophilic group.

Allenyl (2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)alkyl ketones 1 (n = 3,4) were treated with B(CF3SO3)3 in CH2Cl2 to give racemic [6] and [7]metacyclophanes 3 (n = 3,4) in good yields. The structures of these strained compounds 3 (n = 3,4) were established by X-ray crystallographic analyses. The reaction of 3 (n = 3,4) with NaH in THF under reflux readily proceeded to give the corresponding β-naphthols 4 (n = 3,4) via an SRNAr reaction pathway.

We present a new technology for real-time walking of a biped robot. A biped robot necessitates achieving stabilization for real time walking since it has basic problems such as structural stability. In this paper, a robust control algorithm for stable walking is proposed based the ground reaction forces, which are measured using force sensors during walking, and the environmental conditions are estimated from these situation. From this information the robot selects the proper motion and overcomes ground irregularities effectively. In order to generate the proper angel of the joint. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulation and experiments for a 20-DOFs humanoid robot.

Generally, it is possible to control the motion by using information on the robot's own postures, because a type of motion and gesture produces almost the same pattern of noise every time. In this paper, we describe an voice recognition control system for robot system which can robustly recognize voice by adults and children in noisy environments. We evaluate the performance of robot control system in a communication robot placed in a real noisy environment. Voice is captured using a wireless microphone. To suppress interference and noise and to attenuate reverberation, we implemented a multi-channel system consisting of an outlier-robust generalized side-lobe canceller technique and a feature-space noise suppression using criteria. Voice activity periods are detected based end-point detection.

We present a new technology for real-time walking of a biped robot. A biped robot necessitates achieving stabilization for real time walking since it has basic problems such as structural stability. In this paper, a robust control algorithm for stable walking is proposed based the ground reaction forces, which are measured using force sensors during walking, and the environmental conditions are estimated from these situation. From this information the robot selects the proper motion and overcomes ground irregularities effectively. In order to generate the proper angel of the joint. The performance of the proposed algorithm is verified by simulation and experiments for a 20-DOFs humanoid robot.

Graphical abstract Phlorotannins have been isolated and are the first of their type showing competitively inhibitory activity toward SARS-CoV 3CLpro. Dieckol showed the most potent SARS-CoV 3CLpro trans/cis-cleavage inhibitory effects with high association rate., SARS-CoV 3CLpro plays an important role in viral replication. In this study, we performed a biological evaluation on nine phlorotannins isolated from the edible brown algae Ecklonia cava. The nine isolated phlorotannins (1–9), except phloroglucinol (1), possessed SARS-CoV 3CLpro inhibitory activities in a dose-dependently and competitive manner. Of these phlorotannins (1–9), two eckol groups with a diphenyl ether linked dieckol (8) showed the most potent SARS-CoV 3CLprotrans/cis-cleavage inhibitory effects (IC50s = 2.7 and 68.1 μM, respectively). This is the first report of a (8) phlorotannin chemotype significantly blocking the cleavage of SARS-CoV 3CLpro in a cell-based assay with no toxicity. Furthermore, dieckol (8) exhibited a high association rate in the SPR sensorgram and formed extremely strong hydrogen bonds to the catalytic dyad (Cys145 and His41) of the SARS-CoV 3CLpro.

This study aimed to develop an economically viable enzyme for the optimal production of steviol (S) from stevioside (ST). Of 9 commercially available glycosidases tested, S-producing β-glucosidase (SPGase) was selected and purified 74-fold from Penicillium decumbens naringinase by a three-step column chromatography procedure. The 121-kDa protein was stable at pH 2.3-6.0 and at 40-60 °C. Hydrolysis of ST by SPGase produced rubusoside (R), steviolbioside (SteB), steviol mono-glucoside (SMG), and S, as determined by HPLC, HPLC-MS, and (1)H- and (13)C-nuclear magnetic resonance. SPGase showed higher activity toward steviol mono-glucosyl ester, ST, R, and SMG than other β-linked glucobioses. The optimal conditions for S production (30 mM, 64 % yield) were 47 mM ST and 43 μl of SPGase at pH 4.0 and 55 °C. This is the first report detailing the production of S from ST hydrolysis by a novel β-glucosidase, which may be useful for the pharmaceutical and agricultural areas.

G9 group A rotaviruses (RVAs) are considered important pathogens in pigs and humans, and pigs are hypothesized to be a potential host reservoir for human. However, intestinal and extra-intestinal pathogenicity and viremia of porcine G9 RVAs has remained largely unreported. In this study, colostrum-deprived piglets were orally infected with a porcine G9P[23] or G9P[7] strain. Histopathologically, both strains induced characteristic small intestinal lesions. Degeneration and necrosis of parenchymal cells were observed in the extra-intestinal tissues, but most predominantly in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). RVA antigen was continuously detected in the small intestinal mucosa and MLNs, but only transiently in cells of the liver, lung, and choroid plexus. Viral RNA levels were much higher in the feces and the MLNs compared to other tissues. The onset of viremia occurred at day post infection (DPI) 1 with the amount of viral RNA reaching its peak at DPI 3 or 5, before decreasing significantly at DPI 7 and remaining detectable until DPI 14. Our data suggest that porcine G9 RVAs have a strong small intestinal tropism, are highly virulent for piglets, have the ability to escape the small intestine, spread systemically via viremia, and replicate in extra-intestinal tissues. In addition, MLNs might act as a secondary site for viral amplification and the portal of systemic entry. These results add to our understanding of the pathogenesis of human G9 RVAs, and the validity of the pig model for use with both human and pig G9 RVAs in further studies.

The autonomous mobility for the biped robot M-HUMAN in the home environment is realized base on the development of a small stereo vision system, the recognition of floor and obstacles using plane extraction. The terrain is represented in a robot centric coordinate system without making any structural assumptions about the surrounding world. And the representation of a terrain map based on these observations, robot motion, and the generation of a walking path on the terrain map. We therefore believe, our approach is well suited for many different a home environment where no a priori information about the environment is given. The limitation of our system is that the terrain has to contain enough texture in order to obtain reliable stereo data.

Various diethyl α-alkynylmalonates (DAM) having potential as cysteine proteinase inhibitors were synthesized by treatment of diethyl acetyliminomalonate (or ketomalonate) with several lithium acetylides. Hydrolytic decarboxylation of the DAM under the mild basic conditions afforded oxazole derivatives or allenyl esters which caused the Michael type reaction with EtSH.

Several 2-benzazepine-1,5-diones were efficiently obtained by treatment of the corresponding N-alkyl-3-hydroxy-3-propargylisoindolin-1-ones with some tentative Lewis acids via intramolecular endo-mode cyclization in the allenyl ketone intermediates generated in situ.

Asymmetric synthesis of four possible stereoisomers of (9,10)-epoxyheptadecan-4,6-diyn-3-one was accomplished, and the absolute configuration of the naturally occurring (9R,10S)-epoxyheptadecan-4,6-diyn-3-one (1) was elucidated.

Allenyl ketones bearing a (mono-, di-, or tri-methoxy-substituted phenyl)alkyl group were submitted to a new intramolecular geminal spiro-endo-mode cyclization reaction using BF 3 ·OEt 2 , ZnI 2 , and AlCl 3 to give the corresponding bicyclic spiro compounds.

Hesperetin ester and ether derivatives possessing a long alkyl chain were synthesized for examining their hypocholesterolemic activities in high cholesterol-fed mice. Hesperetin 7-O-lauryl ether (4b) and hesperetin 7-O-oleyl ether (4e) exhibited strong cholesterol-lowering effects.

Anti-rotaviral activities of Sophora flavescens extract (SFE) and stevioside (SV) from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni either singly or in various combinations were examined in vitro and in vivo using a porcine rotavirus G5[P7] strain. Combination of SFE and SV inhibited in vitro virus replication more efficiently than each single treatment. In the piglet model, SV had no effect on rotavirus enteritis, whereas SFE improved but did not completely cure rotaviral enteritis. Interestingly, combination therapy of SFE and SV alleviated diarrhea, and markedly improved small intestinal lesion score and fecal virus shedding. Acute toxicity tests including the piglet lethal dose 50, and body weight, organ weight and pathological changes for the combination therapy did not show any adverse effect on the piglets. These preliminary data suggest that the combination therapy of SV and SFE is a potential curative medication for rotaviral diarrhea in pigs. Determination of the efficacy of this combination therapy in other species including humans needs to be addressed in the future.

The papain-like protease (PL(pro)), which controls replication of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), has been identified as a potential drug target for the treatment of SARS. An intensive hunt for effective anti-SARS drugs has been undertaken by screening for natural product inhibitors that target SARS-CoV PL(pro). In this study, diarylheptanoids 1-9 were isolated from Alnus japonica, and the inhibitory activities of these compounds against PL(pro) were determined. Of the isolated diarylheptanoids, hirsutenone (2) showed the most potent PL(pro) inhibitory activity, with an inhibitory concentration (IC(50)) value of 4.1 µM. Structure-activity analysis showed that catechol and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl moiety in the molecule were the key requirement for SARS-CoV cysteine protease inhibition.

In this study, twelve neuraminidase (NA) inhibitory compounds 1-12 were isolated from heartwood of Caesalpinia sappan on the basis of their biological activities against three types of viral NAs. Of isolated homoisoflavonoids, sappanone A (2) showed the most potent NAs inhibitory activities with IC(50) values of 0.7 µM [H1N1], 1.1 µM [H3N2], and 1.0 µM [H9N2], respectively, whereas saturated homoisoflavonoid (3) did not show significantly inhibition. This result revealed that α,β-unsaturated carbonyl group in A-ring was the key requirements for viral NAs inhibitory activity. In our enzyme kinetic study, all NA inhibitors screened were found to be reversible noncompetitive types.

A recombinant putative dextransucrase (DexT) was produced from Leuconostoc citreum KM20 as a 160 kDa protein, but its productivity was very low (264 U/l). For optimization, we examined enzyme activity in 7 Escherichia coli strains with inducer molecules such as lactose or IPTG. E. coli BL21-CodonPlus(DE3)-RIL exhibited the highest enzyme activity with lactose. Finally, DexT activity was remarkably increased by 12-fold under the optimized culture conditions of a cell density to start induction (OD₆₀₀) of 0.95, a lactose concentration of 7.5 mM, and an induction temperature of 17 degrees C. These results may effectively apply to the heterologous expression of other large DexT genes.

Rubusoside (R) is a natural sweetener and a solubilizing agent with antiangiogenic and antiallergic properties. However, currently, its production is quite expensive, and therefore, we have investigated nine commercially available glycosidases to optimize an economically viable R-production method. A stevioside (ST)-specific β-glucosidase (SSGase) was selected and purified 7-fold from Aspergillus aculeatus Viscozyme L by a two-step column chromatography procedure. The 79 kDa protein was stable from pH 3.0 to pH 7.0 at 50-60 °C. Hydrolysis of ST by SSGase produced R and steviol monoglucosyl ester as determined by (1)H and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Importantly, SSGase showed higher activity toward ST than other β-linked glucobioses. The optimal conditions for R production were 280 mM ST and 16.6 μL of SSGase at pH 5.1 and 63 °C. This is the first discussion detailing the production of R by enzymatic hydrolysis of ST and is useful for the food additive and pharmaceutical industries.

Alzheimer's disease is rapidly becoming one of the most prevalent human diseases. Inhibition of human acetylcholinestrase (hAChE) and butyrylcholinestrase (BChE) has been linked to amelioration of Alzheimer's symptoms and research into inhibitors is of critical importance. Purification of the methanol extract of Paulownia tomentosa fruits yielded potent hAChE and BChE inhibitory flavonoids (1-9). A comparative activity screen indicated that a geranyl group at C6 is crucial for both hAChE and BChE. For example, diplacone (8) showed 250-fold higher efficacy than its parent eriodictyol (12). IC(50)s of diplacone (8) were 7.2 μM for hAChE and 1.4 μM for BChE. Similar trends were also observed for 4'-O-methyldiplacone (4) (vs its parent, hesperetin 10) and mimulone (7) (vs its parent, naringenin 11). Representative inhibitors (1-8) showed mixed inhibition kinetics as well as time-dependent, reversible inhibition toward hAChE. The binding affinities of these compounds to hAChE were investigated by monitoring quenching of inherent enzyme fluorescence. The affinity constants (K(SA)) increased in proportion to inhibitory potencies.

A convenient preparation of allenyl aryl ketones was achieved by the Weinreb-modified Grignard reaction of N-methoxy-N-methylamides with propargylmagnesium bromide. On treatment with BF3·OEt2, the ...

A variety of flavones (8 examples) is isolated by activity-guided fractionation of the methanolic extracts from Morus Ihou stem bark.

Background Natural food supplements with high flavonoid content are often claimed to promote weight-loss and lower plasma cholesterol in animal studies, but human studies have been more equivocal. The aim of this study was firstly to determine the effectiveness of natural food supplements containing Glycine max leaves extract (EGML) or Garcinia cambogia extract (GCE) to promote weight-loss and lower plasma cholesterol. Secondly to examine whether these supplements have any beneficial effect on lipid, adipocytokine or antioxidant profiles. Methods Eighty-six overweight subjects (Male:Female = 46:40, age: 20~50 yr, BMI > 23 < 29) were randomly assigned to three groups and administered tablets containing EGML (2 g/day), GCE (2 g/day) or placebo (starch, 2 g/day) for 10 weeks. At baseline and after 10 weeks, body composition, plasma cholesterol and diet were assessed. Blood analysis was also conducted to examine plasma lipoproteins, triglycerides, adipocytokines and antioxidants. Results EGML and GCE supplementation failed to promote weight-loss or any clinically significant change in %body fat. The EGML group had lower total cholesterol after 10 weeks compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). EGML and GCE had no effect on triglycerides, non-HDL-C, adipocytokines or antioxidants when compared to placebo supplementation. However, HDL-C was higher in the EGML group (p < 0.001) after 10 weeks compared to the placebo group. Conclusions Ten weeks of EGML or GCE supplementation did not promote weight-loss or lower total cholesterol in overweight individuals consuming their habitual diet. Although, EGML did increase plasma HDL-C levels which is associated with a lower risk of atherosclerosis.

A variety of benzylidenethiazole analogs have been demonstrated to inhibit 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX). Here we report the anti-atherogenic potential of 5-(4-hydroxy- 2,3,5-trimethylbenzylidene) thiazolidin-2,4-dione (HMB-TZD), a benzylidenethiazole analog, and its potential mechanism of action in LDL receptor-deficient (Ldlr-/-) mice. HMB-TZD Treatment reduced leukotriene B4 (LTB4) production significantly in RAW264.7 macrophages and SVEC4-10 endothelial cells. Macrophages or endothelial cells pre-incubated with HMB-TZD for 2 h and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) displayed reduced cytokine production. Also, HMB-TZD reduced cell migration and adhesion in accordance with decreased proinflammatory molecule production in vitro and ex vivo. HMB-TZD treatment of 8-week-old male Ldlr-/- mice resulted in significantly reduced atherosclerotic lesions without a change to plasma lipid profiles. Moreover, aortic expression of pro-atherogenic molecules involved in the recruitment of monocytes to the aortic wall, including TNF-α , MCP-1, and VCAM-1, was downregulated. HMB-TZD also reduced macrophage infiltration into atherosclerotic lesions. In conclusion, HMB-TZD ameliorates atherosclerotic lesion formation possibly by reducing the expression of proinflammatory molecules and monocyte/macrophage recruitment to the lesion. These results suggest that HMB-TZD, and benzylidenethiazole analogs in general, may have therapeutic potential as treatments for atherosclerosis.

A series of 1,3-diarylprop-2-en-1-one derivatives 3a-v have been synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit neuraminidase (NA). Among the prepared compounds, the less lipophilic derivative 3k showed the most potent in vitro inhibitory activity against NA with an IC(50) value of 1.5 μM.

The action of β-secretase is strongly tied to the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. The development of inhibitors of β-secretase is thus critical to combating this disease, which threatens an ever increasing number of the population and grows in importance as the population ages. Herein we show that flavones from Morus lhou potently inhibit β-secretase. Our aim in this manuscript is to explore the inhibitory kinetics of natural compounds and develop a phamacophore model which details the critical features responsible for inhibitory activity. The IC50 values of compounds for β-secretase inhibition were determined to range between 3.4 and 146.1 μM. Prenylated flavone 2 (IC50 = 3.4 μM) was 20 times more effective than its parent compound, noratocarpetin 1 (IC50 = 60.6 μM). The stronger activity was related with resorcinol moiety on B-ring and isoprenyl functionality at C-3. Kinetic analysis shows that the four effective compounds (1–4) have a noncompetitive mode of action. The binding affinity of flavones for β-secretase calculated using in silico docking experiments correlated well with their IC50 values and noncompetitive inhibition modes.

In this paper, we present two kinds of robust control schemes for robot system which has the parametric uncertainties. In order to compensate these uncertainties, we use the neural network control system that has the capability to approximate any nonlinear function over the compact input space. In the proposed control schemes, we need not derive the linear formulation of robot dynamic equation and tune the parameters. We also suggest the robust adaptive control laws in all proposed schemes for decreasing the effect of approximation error. To reduce the number of neural of network, we consider the properties of robot dynamics and the decomposition of the uncertainty function. The proposed controllers are robust not only to the structured uncertainty such as payload parameter, but also to the unstructured one such as friction model and disturbance. The reliability of the control scheme is shown by computer simulations and experiment of robot manipulator with 8 axis.

In general, it is possible to estimate the noise by using information on the robot's own motions and postures, because a type of motion and gesture produces almost the same pattern of noise every time. In this paper, we describe an voice recognition control system for robot(VRCS) system which can robustly recognize voice by adults and children in noisy environments. We evaluate the VRCS system in a communication robot placed in a real noisy environment. Voice is captured using a wireless microphone. To suppress interference and noise and to attenuate reverberation, we implemented a multi-channel system consisting of an outlier-robust generalized side-lobe canceller technique and a feature-space noise suppression using MMSE criteria. Voice activity periods are detected using GMM-based end-point detection.

Competitive glycosidase inhibitors are generally sugar mimics that are costly and tedious to obtain because they require challenging and elongated chemical synthesis, which must be stereo- and regiocontrolled. Here, we show that readily accessible achiral (E)-1-phenyl-3-(4-strylphenyl)ureas are potent competitive α-glucosidase inhibitors. A systematic synthesis study shows that the 1-phenyl moiety on the urea is critical for ensuring competitive inhibition, and substituents on both terminal phenyl groups contribute to inhibition potency. The most potent inhibitor, compound 12 (IC(50)=8.4 μM, K(i)=3.2 μM), manifested a simple slow-binding inhibition profile for α-glucosidase with the kinetic parameters k(3)=0.005256 μM(-1) min(-1), k(4)=0.003024 min(-1), and K(i)(app) =0.5753 μM.

Several allenyl ketones possessing an aryl group were submitted to a new intramolecular endo-mode cyclization with BF3·OEt2 or TiCl4 in CH2Cl2 to afford the corresponding 6-, 7-, and 8-membered car...

A convenient preparation of allenyl aryl ketones was achieved by the Weinreb-modified Grignard reaction of N-methoxy-N-methylamides with propargylmagnesium bromide. On treatment with BF3·OEt2, the ...

Graphical abstract Inhibitory activity appeared to be associated with the presence of an apigenin moiety at position C-3′ of flavones, as biflavonoid had an effect on SARS-CoV 3CLpro inhibitory activity., As part of our search for botanical sources of SARS-CoV 3CLpro inhibitors, we selected Torreya nucifera, which is traditionally used as a medicinal plant in Asia. The ethanol extract of T. nucifera leaves exhibited good SARS-CoV 3CLpro inhibitory activity (62% at 100 μg/mL). Following bioactivity-guided fractionation, eight diterpenoids (1–8) and four biflavonoids (9–12) were isolated and evaluated for SARS-CoV 3CLpro inhibition using fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis. Of these compounds, the biflavone amentoflavone (9) (IC50 = 8.3 μM) showed most potent 3CLpro inhibitory effect. Three additional authentic flavones (apigenin, luteolin and quercetin) were tested to establish the basic structure–activity relationship of biflavones. Apigenin, luteolin, and quercetin inhibited 3CLpro activity with IC50 values of 280.8, 20.2, and 23.8 μM, respectively. Values of binding energy obtained in a molecular docking study supported the results of enzymatic assays. More potent activity appeared to be associated with the presence of an apigenin moiety at position C-3′ of flavones, as biflavone had an effect on 3CLpro inhibitory activity.

Lysozyme (muramidase) represents an important defense molecule of the fish innate immune system. Known for its bactericidal properties, lysozyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds between the N-acetyl glucosamine and N-acetyl muramic acid in the peptidoglycan layer of bacterial cell walls. In this study, the complete coding sequence of a g-type lysozyme (RBgLyz) was identified in the Oplegnathus fasciatus rock bream fish genome by means of multi-tissue normalized cDNA pyrosequencing using Roche 454 GS-FLX™ technology. RBgLyz is composed of 669 bp, with a 567 bp open reading frame that encodes 188 amino acids. Protein motif searches indicated that RBgLyz contains the soluble lytic transglycosylase domain involved in maintaining cell wall integrity. Furthermore, RBgLyz shares significant identity (81.4%) with Chinese perch Siniperca chuatsi. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis results showed that RBgLyz transcripts are constitutively expressed in various tissues from healthy rock breams. In order to determine RBgLyz function in immunity, its expression was analyzed in head kidney following exposure to known immune stimulants or pathogens. RBgLyz transcripts were significantly up-regulated in response to challenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Edwardsiella tarda, as compared to non-injected control fish. Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) dsRNA stimulated a moderate expression of RBgLyz, as did Streptococcus iniae but to a lesser extent. There were no specific time-dependent effects on RBgLyz mRNA expression observed in response to rock bream iridovirus (RBIV) infection. Taken together, the gene expression results indicated that g-type lysozyme plays a role in the innate immune response to LPS, poly I:C, E. tarda and S. iniae in rock bream. Thus, we generated recombinant RBgLyz in an Escherichia coli expression system and characterized its antimicrobial activity. Our results indicated that recombinant RBgLyz had lytic activity against Gram-negative Vibrio salmonicida, Gram-positive Listeria monocytogenes, S. iniae and Micrococcus lysodeikticus. In addition, observations by scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed that the cell morphology of M. lysodeikticus was altered in the presence of recombinant RBgLyz.

Various diethyl α-alkynylmalonates (DAM) having potential as cysteine proteinase inhibitors were synthesized by treatment of diethyl acetyliminomalonate (or ketomalonate) with several lithium acetylides. Hydrolytic decarboxylation of the DAM under the mild basic conditions afforded oxazole derivatives or allenyl esters which caused the Michael type reaction with EtSH.

Several 2-benzazepine-1,5-diones were efficiently obtained by treatment of the corresponding N-alkyl-3-hydroxy-3-propargylisoindolin-1-ones with some tentative Lewis acids via intramolecular endo-mode cyclization in the allenyl ketone intermediates generated in situ.

Quinone-methide triterpenes, celastrol (1), pristimerin (2), tingenone (3), and iguesterin (4) were isolated from Triterygium regelii and dihydrocelastrol (5) was synthesized by hydrogenation under palladium catalyst. Isolated quinone-methide triterpenes (1-4) and 5 were evaluated for SARS-CoV 3CL(pro) inhibitory activities and showed potent inhibitory activities with IC(50) values of 10.3, 5.5, 9.9, and 2.6 microM, respectively, whereas the corresponding 5 having phenol moiety was observed in low activity (IC(50)=21.7 microM). As a result, quinone-methide moiety in A-ring and more hydrophobic E-ring assist to exhibit potent activity. Also, all quinone-methide triterpenes 1-4 have proven to be competitive by the kinetic analysis.

Dehydration-hydration products were obtained in good yields by the treatment of propargylic hydroxy γ-lactams with some Lewis acids. Several propargylic and allenylic hydroxy γ-lactams were successfully converted to the corresponding ring-expanded benzazepines in various yields via a tandem decyclization-cyclization process in the presence of (TMS)2NLi, (TMS)2NNa, or n-BuLi under reflux conditions in THF.

3-Acetyloxybut-1-enylamines 3–9 were easily transformed using iodine to pyrrolidine derivatives 3a–9a, precursors for aza sugars, via a diastereoselective iodoamidation.

This paper presents the synthesis of 2-amino-, 2-acetamido- and 2-benzamidothioxanthones and their 10,10-dioxides.

Some 6,7-dimethoxy-1-halobenzyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines were synthesized from 2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethylamine and halophenylacetic acids in three steps in good yield.

Some novel 3-halo-6-(4-substituted-phenoxy)pyridazines and 3,6-di-(4-substituted-phenoxy)pyridazines were synthesized from 3,6-dichloropyridazine or 3,6-diiodopyridazine. 3,6-Diiodopyridazine was prepared from 3,6-dichloropyridazine using hydriodic acid/iodine monochloride.